Modified slurry pump

ABSTRACT

A slurry pump for pumping concrete slurry and the like of a type including a plurality of reciprocating cylinder pumps and a pump valve in a housing reciprocatable for selectively introducing the slurry into the reciprocating pumps for discharge thereby, wherein provision is made for easy and rapid rejuvenation of the pump by rearrangement or replacement of wear surfaces and improved lubrication prevents excessive abrasion in wear areas, the invention eliminating the necessity for complete replacement or rebuilding of the pump housing when wear surfaces become worn.

United States Patent [191 Semple [451 Jan. 14,1975

' [22] Filed:

[ MODIFIED SLURRY PUMP [75] Inventor: Qhar-les A. Semple, Midland, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Engineered Concrete Placer, Inc.,

Midland, Tex.

Mar. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 337,485

[52] US. Cl. 137/625.47 [51] Int. Cl F16k 11/02 [58] Field of Search 137/329.01, 329, 625.11,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,384,783 9/1945 Longenecker 137/625.22 X 2,589,012 3/1952 Longenecker 137/329 2,835,273 5/1958 McDonald 137/625.11

2,840,109 6/1958 Wadleigh 137/625.ll 3,279,383 10/1966 Smith 417/900 X 3,580,540 5/1971 Heinen 137/625.47 X 3,628,897 12/1971 Stetter 417/519 3,741,691 6/1973 Schwing 417/517 Primary ExaminerHenry T. Klinksiek [57] ABSTRACT A slurry pump for pumping concrete slurry and the like of a type including a plurality of reciprocating cylinder pumps and a pump valve in a housing reciprocatable for selectively introducing the slurry into the reciprocating pumps for discharge thereby, wherein provision is made for easy and rapid rejuvenation of the pump by rearrangement or replacement of wear surfaces and improved lubrication prevents excessive abrasion in wear areas, the invention eliminating the necessity for complete replacement or rebuilding of the pump housing when wear surfaces become worn.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 1 4l975 SHEU 10F 2 FIG. 1

FIG. 2

MODIFIED SLURRY PUMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Slurry pumps of the type including the present invention are shown in prior US. Pat. No. 3,326,135 of June 20, 1967. Broadly, such pumps include a housing having an open end, a closed end, and first, second and third openings extending through the wall thereof; a

ing; and, means connected with the open end of the valve member for pivoting the valve member from a position aligning the aperture with the first opening to a position aligning the aperture with the second opening.

The present invention relates to improvements in the structure shown in this prior patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention incorporates in slurry pumps of the type disclosed in the above-described prior art replaceable wear rings installed in the valve housing as also replaceable wear rings installed on the valve pivoting member. Replaceable cutter bars are incorporated for coaction between contact areas of the valve and the valve housing and improved lubrication is provided by the addition of 0 rings defining annulus areas for liquid seals and to provide a diferential liquid pressure arrangement to thereby prevent a flow of slurry out of the chambers formed by and between the valve and housing.

Additional advantages and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a pump and valve constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 disclosing in greater detail the pump valve construction;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a slurry pump generally designated 10 which includes a pair of cylinders 12 connected to the pump valve 14 which includes a-hollow cylindrical valve housing 16 having a discharge member 18. The housing includes chambers 20 and 22 divided by partition 24 and terminating respectively in openings 26 and 28 which are connected with respective ones of cylinders 12. Pistons, not shown, are operatively contained within cylinders 12 and are acuatable through piston rods 30. A hemispherical shaped hopper 32 is mounted on a cover plate .25 or top opening closure member 34 of housing 16 and a valve operating rod 36 is operatively connected with the valve and acuatable through a valve operating cylinder 38. Details of this above described structure are set forth in aforementioned US. Pat. No. 3,326,135.

The interior and operational portions of the pump valve 16 are shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2-4. The hollow valve member 40 includes a cylindrical upper plate or flange 42 and a lower cylindrical plate or flange 44. Vertical extending members 46 and 48 define therebetween an aperture 50 adapted upon rotation of the valve to communicate with chambers 20 or 22 and to a top opening, not shown, at the top of the hollow valve member 40 and thence with the discharge from hopper 32. The inner or throat end 52 between members 46 and 48 is semi-cylindrical for coacting with the top opening.

The improvements and modifications overthe structure shown in US. Pat. No. 3,326,135 essentially consists in the incorporation of replaceable wear rings 54A and 54B installed in valve housing 16. Replaceable cutter bars 58A and 58B are installed on the outside edge of chambers 20 and 22 and a replaceable cutter bar 58C is installed on the edge of member 24 between the chambers 20 and 22. Replaceable wear rings 60 and 62 are installed on the valve pivoting member flanges 42 and 44. In addition, an O ring seal 64 is placed in proximity to O ring 66 which is similar to the prior construction. This provides an annulus area for liquid seal of O ring 66. Lubrication of the 0 rings as above provides a lubricated surface for the 0 rings with a differential liquid pressure to provide a seal from the annulus space between the two 0" rings and chamber or aperture 50, thereby preventing a flow of slurry out of these chambers.

The foregoing improvements are described in greater detail hereinafter. The replaceable wear rings 54A, 54B are identical in construction. The required space to install these rings is provided by machining the inside of the housing 16 as shown at 68 to the necessary depth. The wear rings are held in place by set screws 70A and 70B which lock them in place against seats at 72. The annular cover 34 is drilled and tapped for the set screws 70A. A new part which is wear ring keeper 74 is bolted to the housing and is drilled and tapped for set screws 703 to hold wear ring 54B against seat 72. The periphery of wear rings has three grooves machined for 0 rings at 76, 78, 80, 82 and 84. These 0 rings serve the purpose of sealing the slurry in chamber 50 and also seal the lubricant in passage 86 as will be described hereinafter.

The point of maximum wear on wear rings 54A and 54B is indicated at 88 and 90. A unique feature of these wear rings is that they may be removed from the housing and their position in the housing changed so that in effect 54A becomes 54B and 54B becomes 54A and the worn points 88 and 90 become reversed providing new wearing surfaces.

As shown on the drawing, there would be no 0 ring installed at 78 and 84. 0" rings and 82 are installed in 54A and 76, and 99 installed in 548. When the wear rings are interchanged to provide new wearing surfaces, 0 ring 78 becomes 0 ring 76 and O ring 84 becomes 0 ring 82. Lubricating liquid passages 92 and 94 are plugged as shown and become liquid passages intercommunicating through lubricating passage 86 when the wear rings 54A and 54B are interchanged. The original design, as shown in the prior patent, required complete replacement or rebuilding of the housing 16 when these surfaces become worn.

The periphery of pivoted member 40 is machined to permit mounting of replaceable wear rings 60 and 62 on the periphery of flanges 42 and 44 to which they are bolted with bolts 271 and 272 and pivot with valve 40. Slurry flow from chambers 50 and 96 is prevented by rings 98. As previously set forth, the points of maximum wear at 88 and 90 require renewing of these surfaces after a period of use. The replaceable wear rings 60 and 62 can easily be removed and new ones installed much more rapidly and at less cost than replacing the entire pivoted member 40 or rebuilding the same.

As valve member 40 pivots in housing 16, a cutting action occurs between points 100-102 and 104-106 in one direction and between points 108-110 and 112-114 in the other direction. This cutting action creates a point of high wear between these edges. In order to increase the life of these cutting edges, a hardened replaceable cutter bar 56A, of for example, Rockwell C-60, is bolted by bolt 116 to vertical member 48 and cutter bar 568 is also bolted as at 116 to the member 46. Cutter bar 58C is bolted to the vertical member 24 in housing 16 between chambers 20 and 22 with bolts as at 116. Cutter bar 58A is bolted by bolt 118 to the outer edge of chamber 22 in housing 16 and cutter bar 58B is bolted to the outer edge of chamber 20 with a bolt 118. All of the cutter bars can be replaced without dismantling the valve by access through chambers 22 and 20.

The replaceable wear rings 60 and 62 on pivoted member 40 have two 0 ring grooves machined as shown, rather than a single one as in the aforementioned patent. O ring 120 serves the same purpose as in the original patent, and O ring 122 is added to provide an annulus area for liquid at a higher pressure than is in chamber 96 and 50. The liquid being at a higher pressure assures that no slurry can pass between chambers 96 and 50 under 0 ring 120, which would cause a wear point on the inside diameter of wear rings 54A and 548 at the point of contact of the O ring on the metal surface. As previously mentioned, it is necessary to lubricate the metal surface of the wear rings 54A and 54B to prevent excessive abrasion at the point of contact of 0 rings 120. The lubricating fluid is furnished to the passage 86 in the valve housing 16 from the positive pressure liquid metering device. The annulus area 124 between O rings 80-82 and 99-84 receives the liquid and fills this area. A second set of passages 126 are drilled and tapped for a shut-off valve in housing 16. These passages and valves are provided for a check point on the fluid flow and pressure of the liquid by installing a check gauge at these points. There are four radial passages 128 drilled in wear rings 54A and 54B to permit the flow of fluid from the annulus areas 124 and 68 to a second annulus area 130 between 0 rings 122 and 120. The fluid in annulus area 130 provides the lubrication for 0 rings 122 and 120 at a higher pressure than the slurry in chambers 96 and 50. Further annulus area 68 is designed to similarly contain lubricant for 0 rings 70, 80 and 82 and 0" rings 76, 99 and 84. I

The modifications of the present invention whereby improved functional operation is attained as also the possibility of interchanging or reversing parts in order to renew or rejuvenate the valve without the necessity of complete dismantling or complete repair or replacement of parts will be apparent from the foregoing.

Manifestly, minor changes in details of construction can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in and limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A slurry pump valve for pumping concrete slurry comprising:

A. a cylindrical valve housing having an annular top with an inlet opening therethrough, and first and second outlet chambers from a side thereof separated by an intermediate partition wall; 7

B. a hollow rotatable valve member in said housing including:

i. cylindrical upper and lower flanges; and

ii. vertical extending members between said flanges having a closing semi-cylindrical inner throat for coacting with said inlet opening, and defining an aperture chamber for selectively communicating said inlet opening with said first and said second outlet chambers upon rotation of said valve member;

C. replaceable upper and lower cylindrical wear rings mounted interiorly in said valve housing; and

D. replaceable cylindrical" wear rings mounted on said upper and lower flanges of said valve member and coactable with said upper and lower wear rings in said valve housing.

2. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior of said cylindrical housing has upper and lower cylindrical recesses formed therein, said upper and lower wear rings in said valve housing being seated respectively in said recesses, and means removably securing said wear rings in said recesses.

3. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 2, said securing means including set screws extending through said annular cover and engaging and securing said upper wear ring, a wear ring keeper bolted to the bottom of said housing, and set screws extending through ring keeper and engaging and securing said lower wear ring.

4. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 3, first and second vertically spaced grooves in the outer edges of said wear rings on said flanges, O-rings mounted in said grooves and in operative engagement with and between said wear rings in said housing, and on annular liquid seal area defined between said O-rings.

5. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 4, said wear rings in said housing having three vertically with the interior surfaces of said cylindrical recesses,

said O-rings defining an annular area therebetween, lubricating passages through said housing opening into said last named annular area, and second lubricating passages in said wear rings in said housing intercommunicating the first and last named annular areas.

6. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 5, said wear rings in said housing being reversible to thereby present, upon reversal, new wear areas at the point of maximum wear between said wear rings in said housing and said wear rings on said upper and lower flanges of said valve member.

7. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 1, including replaceable cutter bars attached to the outer edges of said first and second chambers and to the edge of said intermediate partition, and coacting replaceable cutter bars attached to the edges of said vertical extending members on said rotatable valve member, whereby upon wear of said cutter bars during use of said valve, said cutter bars are replaceable for renewal of valve efficiency.

8. A slurry pump valve for pumping concrete slurry comprising:

A. a cylindrical valve housing having an annular top with an inlet opening therethrough, and first and second outlet chambers from a side thereof separated by an intermediate partition wall;

B. a hollow rotatable valve member in said housing including:

i. cylindrical upper and lower flanges; and

ii. vertical extending members between said flanges having a closing semi-cylindrical inner throat for coacting with said inlet opening, and defining an aperture chamber for selectively communicating said inlet opening with said first or said second outlet chambers upon rotation of said valve member;

C. replaceable cutter bars attached to the outer edges of said first and second outlet chambers and to the edge of said intermediate partition; and

D. replaceable cutter bars attached to the edges of said vertical extending members, whereby upon wear of said cutter bars during use of said valve, said cutter bars are replaceable for renewal of valve efficiency. 

1. A slurry pump valve for pumping concrete slurry comprising: A. a cylindrical valve housing having an annular top with an inlet opening therethrough, and first and second outlet chambers from a side thereof separated by an intermediate partition wall; B. a hollow rotatable valve member in said housing including: i. cylindrical upper and lower flanges; and ii. vertical extending members between said flanges having a closing semi-cylindrical inner throat for coacting with said inlet opening, and defining an aperture chamber for selectively communicating said inlet opening with said first and said second outlet chambers upon rotation of said valve member; C. replaceable upper and lower cylindrical wear rings mounted interiorly in said valve housing; and D. replaceable cylindrical wear rings mounted on said upper and lower flanges of said valve member and coactable with said upper and lower wear rings in said valve housing.
 2. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interior of said cylindrical housing has upper and lower cylindrical recesses formed therein, said upper and lower wear rings in said valve housing being seated respectively in said recesses, and means removably securing said wear rings in said recesses.
 3. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 2, said securing means including set screws extending through said annular cover and engaging and securing said upper wear ring, a wear ring keeper bolted to the bottom of said housing, and set screws extending through ring keeper and engaging and securing said lower wear ring.
 4. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 3, first and second vertically spaced grooves in the outer edges of said wear rings on said flanges, O-rings mounted in said grooves and in operative engagement with and between said wear rings in said housing, and on annular liquid seal area defined between said O-rings.
 5. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 4, said wear rings in said housing having three vertically spaced grooves in the outer edges thereof, O-rings mounted in said grooves and in operative engagement with the interior surfaces of said cylindrical recesses, said O-rings defining an annular area therebetween, lubricating passages through said housing opening into said last named annular area, and second lubricating passages in said wear rings in said housing intercommunicating the first and last named annular areas.
 6. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 5, said wear rings in said housing being reversible to thereby present, upon reversal, new wear areas at the point of maximum wear between said wear rings in said housing and said wear rings on said upper and lower flanges of said valve member.
 7. A slurry pump valve as claimed in claim 1, including replaceable cutter bars attached to the outer edges of said first and second chambers and to the edge of said intermediate partition, and coacting replaceable cutter bars attached to the edges of said vertical extending members on said rotatable valve member, whereby upon wear of said cutter bars during use of said valve, said cutter bars are replaceable for renewal of valve efficiency.
 8. A slurry pump valve for pumping concrete slurry comprising: A. a cylindrical valve housing having an annular top with an inlet opening therethrough, and first and second outlet chambers from a side thereof separated by an intermediate partition wall; B. a hollow rotatable valve member in said housing including: i. cylindrical upper and lower flanges; and ii. vertical extending members between said flanges having a closing semi-cylindrical inner throat for coacting with said inlet opening, and defining an aperture chamber for selectively communicating said inlet opening with said first or said second outlet chambers upon rotation of said valve member; C. replaceable cutter bars attached to the outer edges of said first and second outlet chambers and to the edge of said intermEdiate partition; and D. replaceable cutter bars attached to the edges of said vertical extending members, whereby upon wear of said cutter bars during use of said valve, said cutter bars are replaceable for renewal of valve efficiency. 